On Wednesday, 17th January I sponsored a cross-party event in Parliament entitled “100 days of captivity: What next for the Hamas hostages?“ to highlight the plight of the hostages still held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
There are estimated to be more than 130 hostages, including British nationals and including people who are not Jewish or Israeli, who are still held hostage and being cruelly mistreated in Gaza.
The event in Parliament was hosted with support from the leading London law firm Mishcon de Reya and was attended by representatives of the family members of hostages with British links currently held in Gaza.
Also attending was Richard Ratcliffe (who is the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was wrongfully imprisoned by Iran from 2016-2022) as well as two British Government Ministers- the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs the Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell MP and the Leader of the House of Commons the Rt. Hon Penny Mordaunt MP.
It was very moving to hear the accounts of the families of those held captive by Hamas, including women, children and the elderly being subject to torture and continued confinement, and of their relatives who were murdered in the pogrom of October 7th. The testimonies of the families of the hostages and those murdered during the attack are a harrowing reminder of the brutality of Hamas and the need to never forget the atrocities committed on that dark day.
Members from all parties across the House of Commons, including myself, have also recently signed the Book of Commitment marking Holocaust Memorial Day in Parliament to honour and remember the millions of Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust.
I welcome the British Government making every effort possible to see the hostages of all nationalities returned.
(Photo: Sir Michael Ellis MP in Parliament with Adam Wagner of Doughty Street Chambers, Richard Ratcliffe and Steve, a family member of a British hostage still in Gaza)